| The research was done by a Dr.
Griffiths in England. He compared the behavior of 15 regular gamblers with that
of 15 non-regular gamblers before and after they gambled. Both groups had
increased heart rates during gambling because it was exciting. But the regular
gamblers' heart rates went down almost straight after the game. while the
non-regulars remained excited and had increased heart rates for
longer. When the heart beat increases, the body produces chemicals called endorphins which make you feel good. Dr. Griffiths thinks that regular gamblers lose this good feeling soon after a game and need to play again quickly to regain the pleasure. He has also discovered that regular gamblers have different psychological reactions from those of non-regular gamblers. In an experiment where regular and non-regular gamblers thought aloud while playing, regular gamblers had far more unreasonable thoughts. In their minds they turned losses into near-wins, Dr. Griffiths thinks that nearly winning gives the gambler {{U}}a high{{/U}} in the way that a win would do. Based on Dr. Griffiths' research, doctors suggest that one way to help regular gamblers to give up gambling is to give them beta-blockers drugs that stop them getting a high in the first place. |